Old story on JR but it is new to me....

[ChiTownBull]

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/kids/newsDetail.jsp?id=19900

It's in the Cards for J.R. Reed

J.R. Reed remembers the moment when he became hooked on football cards. He was in a Wal-Mart with his mother and he saw a mini-football on top of a pack of cards. He asked his mother if he could have the cards.

She gave in.

Nearly two million cards in his collection later, the Eagles rookie safety is a full-blown, where-can-I-find-more football card junkie.

"I love doing it. I follow the business, I know which cards are rare and which ones I need to add to my collection," says Reed, who keeps his mint-condition collection in his basement. "It's a passion of mine."

Reed was about 7 years old when he started collecting cards and since then his interest has grown and grown. He slowed down a little bit in college when the money was tight, but since Reed was drafted by the Eagles in the fourth round last April from South Florida, he's been "replenishing" his books.

At the moment, Reed estimates he has between 1.5 and 2 million cards.

And what's really exciting is that one of those cards is his. Imagine the thrill of seeing yourself on a football card.

"My girlfriend surprised me at a game this year. She said, 'I've got to show you something, I've got to show you something.' I had been looking for the card and she knew it," says Reed. "When she showed it to me, I almost cried. She gave it to me right before the Redskins home game. I was just about to go out to the field to start the game and she said, 'Come out of the locker room.' I came out and she showed me the card. I didn't know I was even on a card yet.

"I remember when I was a kid I would be on a Little League all-star team and get one of those cards. I used to put my card in among the other ones and see how it blended in."

Reed has one rule regarding his collection: "Nobody goes near my cards."

He organizes them and then re-organizes them. Reed combs through his collection constantly and looks to add cards however he can get them. He's connected to memorabilia dealers who contact vendors who then provide card lists so Reed can pick and choose any additions he'd like to make.

"It's basically become an investment for me," he says. "I've spent thousands of dollars on the collection. I'm proud of it. It's growing and growing."

Reed can rattle off his favorite cards -- "I love the Barry Sanders (former Detroit Lions running back) cards. Nobody could run like him."

And he estimates that some of his cards have a tremendous value. The Joe Montana rookie card, for example.

Used to be, you could go out and purchase complete sets. That was easy and complete. However, it also lowered the value of the cards because all you had to do was purchase the set and be finished.

Now Reed buys what's called a Wax Box, which consists of 24 packs of cards, six cards in a pack, and costs about $100.

"It's a game, because to buy a complete set you have to buy three Wax Boxes," says Reed. "And inside one of those Boxes, you may find a card that's worth anywhere from $100 to $2,000. You never know. It's a surprise whenever you open a Box."

Reed also has some non-football cards that he's proud of. He has a Michael Jordan card from 1986 and a Hank Aaron hologram card.

"They're all valuable to me," says Reed. "I love each and every one of them."

[bulls96go]

intresting

does he get a new 'rookie' card?

[Ricky the Bull]

intresting

does he get a new 'rookie' card?

Why in the world would he get a new one?  You're only a rookie once.